Abandoned pressure cooker closes Highway 50 for two hours

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An abandoned pressure cooker left at Lakeview Commons caused police to shut down Highway 50 in the area for two hours Sunday while they investigated the device.

Just before 7 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe 911 center received a call saying the device was abandoned on the ground at Lakeview Commons, according to a press release from South Lake Tahoe Police Department. The Race the Lake of the Sky paddleboard event was taking place at the time. With the help of event organizers, police cleared the immediate area and diverted traffic on Highway 50 around the area of Lakeview Commons. The Tahoe Douglas Bomb Squad responded and attempted to destroy the cooker with their bomb robot. When that failed, a bomb team member wearing protective gear walked in and destroyed the device with a P.A.N. Disrupter, which is a type of water cannon, according to the release.

Once the device was rendered safe, it was determined to be an industrial-size electronic rice cooker which contained food. Traffic was diverted for about two hours.